Yojuu Kitan Ninja vs Shark is a fun time.

 

Sometimes, all you need is a fun, turn off your brain type of movie. You don't always need high artsy, fanciful masterpieces. Everyone can enjoy a solid B-movie that's silly and just pure entertainment every now and then. Such a movie is Yojuu Kitan Ninja vs Shark, written by the writer of Ultraman New Generation Stars, Junichiro Ashiki and directed by stuntman and fight choreographer, Koichi Sakamoto, known for his forays into the Kamen Rider series with W, Fourze and Heisei Generations, along with Aka x Pinku. Some talented people for a B-movie! 

Set sometime in the past, the remote village of Okitsu has a rough time. The village sustains itself via pretty pearls found within the nearby sea, unfortunately for the villagers, the leader of a cult-like clan of ninjas known as the Crimson Devil Clan, Koshiro Mizuchi, has gotten wind of it and demanded that Okitsu hand over the pearls to him. When the village refused, he used sorcery to have the sharks in the sea attack and murder any villagers that tread the waters. In desperation, the mayor of Okitsu hires a roguish figure by the name of Kotaro Shiozaki to protect the village and deal with the Crimson Devil Clan. 

For a movie billed as Ninja vs Shark, there is actually very little combat between said ninja and shark. In fact, the shark only makes a proper appearance somewhere around forty minutes into the movie and even then, it's not quite perfectly seen as it's a tense scene that doesn't fully show off the shark. Following that, it's next appearance is within the climax of the movie, with little run time left. It is worth the wait in some respects though as we get to see a giant shark moving and even tunnelling into and out of the earth! It's a very strange, but satisfying climax to a fun movie. The CGI is terrible however, but that only adds to the fun and whilst I would have preferred an attempt at a practical shark, it was nevertheless, an amusing time. 

On the topic of CGI, there was also a heavy dose of CGI blood which also looked rather terrible. What made it even worse was just how obvious it was in the daylight scenes, if I were involved in the making of the movie, I would have suggested hiding it by shooting more night-time scenes. This is somewhat offset by the fact that there is also some practical blood used and it looks so much better than the CGI, even if there are missing injuries that are not accounted for. An example of what I'm talking about is when Shinsuke is bitten by a toothy maw, filled with massive teeth, only to pull away without any visible wounds. He should have had chunks taken out of his flesh! 

The fight scenes are mostly human on human violence with some neat ninja vs ninja sequences. With Koichi Sakamoto being a stuntman and a fight choreographer, it is no surprise that for the most part the fights are well paced and decently choregraphed. I particularly enjoyed the climatic fights and the camera work is pretty solid, every hit whether a punch, kick or swing of a sword was framed really well and often in the centre of the screen so the action was easy to follow. 

Kotaro is an interesting character and a fascinating choice for a protagonist. Our introduction to him sees him having raped the wife of a client that failed to pay him on time for his services. This makes him less of a morally good character than a lot of protagonists, but also allows room for character development and growth. Thankfully, he does get some development when he decides to be the hero that Okitsu needs. I loved the connection between him and Sayo with their backstories bringing them together in a heart-warming way, through shared past tragedy. Koshu Hirano plays the role with a certain coolness and swagger that's enough to have him become likable and got me to root for him. 

Shun Nishime did a fine job in the role of Shinsuke, a man in love with Sayo. He had me feeling sorry for him, but also deeply admiring his courage for standing up for his crush even when he was outmanned and out matched. A likable character brought to life by Nishime's emotional performance. 

Overall, I had a fun time watching Yojuu Kitan vs Shark. It's not a high arts movie, nor is it a thought provoking masterpiece, but it is highly entertaining and has some heart. I recommend it if you want to watch a movie that you can relax with and turn your brain off.